Storage case for sheets of drawings or the like



LIKE

Nov. l, 1955 R. R. GUNDERSON STORAGE CASE FOR SHEETS OF DRAWINGS OR THE Filed July l5, 1953 United States Patent() STORAGE CASE FOR SHEETS OF DRAWINGS OR THE LIKE Ralph-R. Gunderson, Chicago, ill.

Application .Iuly 13, 1953, Serial No. 367,591 6 Claims. (Cl. 45-64) This invention relates to storage cases, and more particularly to a compact case for holding drawings, which may be used as a table when swung to extended working position away from a wall to which it is attached.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a case for storing drawings in flat accessible position where each drawing may be examined without removing it from the case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a series of cover members for a rigid panel which will form separate compartments for storing sheets and to provide a cover iiapin each compartment for preventing the drawings from slipping out of the compartment when the case is positioned down against the wall in upright position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a fastening device which when tightened will compress all of the compartments and hold the contents in at compressed position regardless of the position of the case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinged construction for the cover which will make each compartment expansible to receive various quantities of sheets.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a storage case in extended position;

Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; and

Fig. 3, a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated, the rigid panel member 4 is provided with hinges 5 for hinging the panel to a wall indicated at 6. A telescoping leg 7 is pivotally connected to the panel 4 as indicated at 8 and a thumb screw 9 is provided to adjust the angular position of the case and permit it, when desired, to swing down against the wall 6.

The rigid panel member 4 is shown provided with four stili cover members 10 which may have progressively smaller areas than the supporting panel 4. In the drawing the difference in area of the various cover members is somewhat exaggerated for clearness and it will be understood that the cover members, if preferred, may have the same width as the rigid panel 4 and they may be extended back so that their rear edges are in somewhat closer proximity to the wall 6. In the construction illustrated, the cover members have their rear edge portions connected to the panel 4 seriatim by a hinge member 11. A single fabric member may serve this purpose by having its front edge riveted or tacked to the top cover member as indicated at 12 and then successively tacked to the rear edge portion of each cover member as indicated at 13, 14, and 15, and finally to the rigid panel as indicated at 15a. By this arrangement each compartment 16 formed between the cover members is expansible.

A number of forwardly extending straps 17 are riveted to the top cover member as indicated at 18 and each of the underlying cover members is provided near its front end with keepers 19 through which the straps 17 may be threaded. Buckles 20 are secured to the front of the rigid panel by means of straps 21 so that when the straps 17 are tensioned each of the compartments 16 and its contents. will be compressed and the hinge member 11 stretched forwardly. The arrangement is such that the top cover member pulls against the fastening 13 with the rst adjacent underlying cover member and that cover member in turn pulls on the fastenings 14 in the same way so that each of the cover members is drawn forwardly to compress the compartments 16.

As shown in Fig. 3, each of the compartments 16 is provided with a U-shaped cover flap 22 whose lower leg is secured to the adjacent cover member and its hinged portion 23 is at the front of the compartment so that when the cover member is turned upwardly, the ap may swing forwardly to make accessible drawing sheets 24. This cover flap serves to prevent the drawings from slipping from under the cover member when the case is in collapsed position and also prevents dirt and dust from seeping into the front edge of the compartment.

The hinge member 11 affords similar protection for the rear edge of the drawings.

In the drawings the cover members 10 are indicated as being rather thick. In practice, they are made of metal or rather stiff cardboard. The rigid panel 4 is preferably made of plywood and may be covered with a fabric or leatherette.

In practice, when it is desired to examine any of the drawings in the case, the case is swung up to the horizontal position indicated in Fig. 1 and the thumb screw 9 tightened to support it. The buckles 20 are then unfastened and if it is desired to open the third compartment from the top, the strap is withdrawn from the front keepers and the three top cover members are then raised as a unit and turned back against the wall. The top of the cover flap is then turned forwardly and all of the drawings in that compartment are available for inspection. The other compartments are accessible in similar manner and when it is desired to close the case, the straps 17 are again tensioned and secured by the buckles 20. This draws all of the cover members forwardly and the case can be swung down to its starting position. Thus it will be seen that a large number of drawings can be accommodated in a case which occupies very little floor space when it is not being used.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A storage case for holding sheets in working position, comprising: a rigid panel having hinges adapted to suspend the rear edge of said case from a wall; collapsible means for supporting the body of said panel in extended working position with respect to the Wall; a plurality of stiff superposed cover members; hinge means connecting one marginal edge portion of each of said cover members to said panel seriatim to form' separate compartments for stored sheets between adjacent cover members, the opposite marginal edge portion of each of said cover members being free to swing about its hinge connection to expose the interior of a compartment and its stored sheets in working position; and means for releasably securing said free marginal edge portions of the cover members to the panel.

2. A storage case as specified in claim 1, in which each of the connections between the cover members and the panel are at the rear marginal edge portions of the cover members so that each of the cover members may be swung upwardly and rearwardly to a rest position against the wall.

3. A storage case as specified in claim 1, in which a plurality of cover flaps are positioned Within the compartments, each cover flap being hingedly secured to the free marginal edge portion of one of the cover members to form a pocket for stored sheets between the cover Hap and said one cover member, each cover flap being swingable outwardly of its compartment to expose stored sheets in working position.

4. A storage case as specified in claim 1, in which the cover members are positioned upon the panel in superposed stepped relation forwardly from the hinged rear edge of the case to successively forwardly space each connection between the hinge means and a cover member, successive connections of the hinge means permitting limite doutward movement of each cover member with respect to its adjacent inner cover member to form expansible compartments for sheets between adjacent cover members, each of the cover members being successively swingable about its hinge connection to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rest position. l

5. A storage case as specified in claim 1, in which the cover members are positioned upon the panel in superposed stepped relation forwardly from the hinged edge of the case to successively forwardly space each connection between the hinge means and a cover member, successive connections of the hinge means permitting limited outward movement of each cover member with respect to its adjacent inner cover member to form expansible compartments for sheets between adjacent covers, each of the cover members being successively swingable about its hinge connection to an upwardly and rearwardly inclined rest position, and a fastening means is provided for detachably securing the opposite marginal edge portion of the outer cover member to the panel, said fastening means being adjustable to pull said outer cover member forwardly and compress said cover members upon stored sheets in the compartments.

6. A storage case as specified in claim 1, in which the top cover member is provided with a strap, the other cover members with strap keepers near their free ends, and the panel member with a buckle, said strap when drawn taut and buckled serving to compress and secure closed each of the compartments, and when released adapted to hold those cover members together as a unit whose keepers are threaded with the strap.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

